Elven cultivators

Compared to a few years ago, Eleanor's demeanor has become more serene and composed.

She wore a light blue ankle-length robe, and her long, emerald green hair was casually tied up with rattan rope, with a few strands falling beside her ears, making her skin appear as white as jade.

Anton's gaze lingered on her for a moment, his divine sense quietly sweeping over her, and then he was slightly taken aback.

"Are you almost at the peak of your cultivation?"

"Hmm." Eleanor's lips curled up slightly, her eyes filled with undisguised joy. "I have refined one hundred and four breaths of spiritual energy, and I only need four more to complete the process."

Anton made an estimate.

From the time Eleanor switched to studying the Azure Emperor's Profound Heaven Record until now, it has only been a little over nine years.

The speed at which their strength has improved can be described as leaps and bounds.

But upon closer reflection, it's not surprising.

On the one hand, Eleanor did not start from scratch.

With the solid foundation she had built from her previous magical practice, after her magic power was converted into spiritual energy, she directly accumulated more than sixty breaths of spiritual energy, giving her a starting point far higher than that of ordinary people.

On the other hand, and most importantly, there is an abundance of resources.

Back then, it took Anton a full sixty-one years from refining his first breath to perfecting his Qi cultivation.

While the difference is partly due to the fact that the Tai Chu Gui Cang Jue is far more difficult to cultivate than the Qing Di Xuan Tian Lu, the more fundamental reason is the scarcity of resources.

Spirit Gathering Talisman, Blood Food Body Refinement, Yuan Nourishing Pill... these things that can greatly improve cultivation efficiency were all things he gradually acquired over the next few decades.

If these resources were available from the beginning, the time required to complete the Qi cultivation process could be shortened by at least half.

Even if a cultivator has poor aptitude, their cultivation speed won't be too slow if they have sufficient resources.

A cultivation speed like Eleanor's is perhaps the normal level that disciples of sects in the cultivation world should have.

"You can focus on your cultivation. I'll refine the Foundation Establishment Pill for you," Anton said.

Things are different now than before; refining Foundation Establishment Pills now requires collecting the main ingredients from all over the place.

Just pick a few rare materials from the warehouse, and that's enough to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill.

"Okay." Eleanor didn't refuse, she just nodded slightly.

She didn't say thank you because she knew that saying thank you in front of Anton would be superfluous.

All that Anton has done for the clan over the years cannot be summed up with just a word of thanks.

The help he gave her was countless.

An extra Foundation Establishment Pill is just a trivial matter.

She secretly resolved, just as her grandfather had said, to do her best to serve as Anton's deputy and assist him in managing the clan.

Anton ignored Eleanor's little scheme and changed the subject, asking about something else: "How's your talisman learning going lately?"

"I can already draw some low-level talismans." Eleanor took out a stack of talismans. "These are the Mind-Cleansing Talismans, Storage Talismans, and Lightness Talismans that I drew... The success rate is about 70%."

Anton picked up a few talismans, examined them for a while, and nodded slightly.

Although the brushstrokes are still a bit rough and the transitions of some runes are not smooth enough, the overall structure is complete and the charm of the runes has emerged.

For a beginner, reaching this level is already quite remarkable.

The fact that Eleanor was able to achieve this level in just a few years shows that she also has a good talent for rune drawing.

In fact, most cultivators with good array formation skills often show extraordinary talent when learning talismans.

Runes and array patterns are two sides of the same coin, and they are interconnected.

After a moment's thought, Anton said, "Now that you've mastered the basics of talismans, you can begin learning magic."

Eleanor paused, a look of surprise appearing in her eyes: "Spells? But my cultivation level..."

"Although the Qi Refining stage focuses on martial arts training, it doesn't mean you can't learn magic." Anton smiled slightly. "Moreover, your situation is rather special. You already have a foundation in learning magic. Although the principles of the two are different, they are both ways of utilizing the energy of heaven and earth. With this kind of understanding, you should find it much easier to cultivate magic than others."

He had already begun practicing magic when he was in the middle stage of Qi Refining.

Eleanor only started practicing when she was almost at the peak of Qi Refining, which was considered late.

Ultimately, it was because she progressed too quickly and focused most of her energy on refining spiritual energy that she neglected this aspect of her studies.

But it's not a big deal.

Spells are meant to be used as regular combat methods only after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, so there's plenty of time to start learning them now.

Anton selected several basic techniques suitable for cultivating both wood and water spiritual roots from the Great Dao Jade Slip, and meticulously copied the key points of the techniques and his cultivation insights into a book, which he then handed to Eleanor.

"Take these techniques back and study them first. If you have any questions, come and ask me. Start with the simplest ones first, don't try to learn too much at once, take it one step at a time."

Eleanor took the book, her eyes shining slightly, and nodded solemnly.

After discussing cultivation, Anton casually inquired about the recent changes in the clan.

He knew that Eleanor had been assisting the elders with clan affairs and was more aware of these matters than anyone else.

Eleanor spoke frankly and eloquently.

First, the total population of the clan has exceeded nine thousand.

In recent years, thanks to the Life-Generating Array and the Multi-Child Elixir, the clan's birth rate has increased.

Although they are still far from being as numerous and prolific as large races like humans and sea creatures, they are already much better off than before.

According to her estimate, the clan's total population could exceed 10,000 in at most fifty years.

For the human race, fifty years is equivalent to the span of one or even two generations.

But for the long-lived elves, it is merely a short segment of their life journey.

In such a short time, the population has increased by nearly a thousand, which is quite an achievement in the history of the Elven race.

Unfortunately, although the blockade of Eldron Plains is now only nominal, the blockades of other Dragon Cities still exist, otherwise the Elder Council would have considered recruiting elven people from other places.

Compared to population growth, the expansion of the forest guard has been much faster.

The tenth battalion has been formed, and the total number of guards has reached more than three thousand, accounting for nearly one-third of the total population.

Throughout the entire continent of Dawn, only a handful of races, such as dragons, dwarves, and orcs, can achieve such an astonishing ratio of soldiers to civilians.

Dragons and dwarves, like elves, have a large population of adults due to their long lifespans, which naturally makes up a large proportion of their population capable of fighting.

As for the orcs, it's purely because of their warlike nature; they've almost reached the point where the entire population is a soldier.

A forest guard of three thousand men is a force to be reckoned with on the Eldron Plains.

Moreover, the equipment, training, and logistical support of these three thousand men far exceed the level of the armies of most forces on the plains.

It is worth mentioning that two of the ten battalions of the Forest Guard were Scaled Rock Lizard Archer Battalions.

Today, the clan's scaly lizard breeding technology is quite mature, and the domestication system is on the right track.

Even the taming of the Spinosaurus is gradually showing some promise.

The tribe's animal trainers are working hard to overcome this challenge.

In terms of resources, the situation is equally encouraging.

With the full exploitation of the twelve mines in the Underdark and the stable operation of the trade route to the Green Highlands, the clan's revenue has increased year by year, and the materials in the warehouses have piled up more and more.

The resource shortages that once plagued the Elders have now been greatly alleviated.

Overall, the clans were thriving.

In particular, the activation of the Great Evolution Azure Profound Array has injected a continuous stream of vitality into the already rapidly developing clan, subtly enhancing its development potential.

They chatted for almost an hour before Eleanor reluctantly left.

Not long after he left, another elf came running to his door.

This time it was Cedric.

The forest guard captain was still wearing his inscribed leather armor, his figure as upright as a pine tree, his face as hard as a rock sculpture.

Upon meeting, Anton immediately sensed the surging, almost overflowing, blood and qi within the other's body.

He immediately understood Cedric's purpose: "You've reached the peak of the second level of Strength?"

“That’s right.” Cedric, as taciturn as ever, cut to the chase, “Anton, could you also teach me the way to approach divinity?”

Anton smiled slightly, took out a piece of parchment, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Cedric.

"These are near-divine cultivation methods suitable for cultivators focused on strength. Take a look and let me know if you find any you like."

Cedric thanked him, picked up the parchment, and began to peruse it.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Cedric put down the book, looked up at Anton, and said with a calm and steady gaze: "I choose Zhenyue."

Anton's expression shifted slightly, showing a hint of surprise.

The Zhenyue technique, a near-divine method, is named after the idea of ​​"suppressing mountains".

Cultivators can concentrate their vital energy and blood into their fists, palms, or weapons, and when they strike, they can subject the target to several times the normal pressure.

Those who are in the middle feel as if they are carrying a mountain, their bones crack, their movements become sluggish, and even breathing becomes difficult.

The stronger the force, the higher the pressure multiplier.

To put it simply, it is quite similar to heavy pressure or the law of gravity.

The former is a lower-level law derived from the power of the earth element.

The latter belongs to the intermediate laws of nature.

Both are types that tend to use direct confrontation and force to overcome skill.

The Elven fighting style has always pursued speed and agility, winning through skill. Zhen Yue's head-on confrontation style is indeed not in line with the Elven people's usual approach.

Anton originally thought that Cedric would choose a near-divine method, similar to the Second Elder's Wind Feather Shadow, which is more inclined towards agile perception.

Even so, Anton didn't say anything more, took out the records of Zhenyue, and handed them to Cedric.

"Thank you." Cedric accepted the book, rose, and bowed respectfully to Anton.

Anton waved his hand: "No need to be so polite."

Cedric was not a talkative person; after thanking him, he took his leave.

Anton watched him leave, then looked away, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

It seems that after the Second Elder, the clan will soon have another peak-level gold-tier warrior.

With ample resources and near-divine methods suited to individual paths, the number of top-tier combatants in the clan will only increase in the future.

Given time, it is not impossible for them to catch up with Cresso Dragon City, or even surpass it.

After Cedric left, the treehouse returned to silence.

Anton went to the window and looked outside.

Several elfin children were chasing and playing on the tree-covered walkway, their innocent laughter drifting on the wind, adding a touch of life to the tranquil forest.

Looking at the children, a thought suddenly popped into Anton's mind.

Perhaps it's time to consider promoting cultivation techniques.

Cultivating immortality requires a lot of resources. In the past, clans were too weak and simply did not have the conditions to support multiple cultivators cultivating at the same time.

Even he himself had to travel around collecting resources back then just to barely meet his cultivation needs.

But things are different now. The clan has become powerful and possesses far more resources than before. As long as the number of cultivators is kept within a reasonable range, it can fully support them.

Moreover, the initial Qi-refining stage does not require too many resources.

By the time the first batch of cultivators break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, the clan may have already found more resource points in the Dark Region and possess greater resource strength.

"A full-scale promotion is not realistic. We can only start by finding a group of young children in the clan who have never been exposed to any cultivation system and directly educate them on the cultivation system from the enlightenment stage."

Young children have no preconceived notions or deeply ingrained mindsets; they are like blank slates, making them more receptive to entirely new worldviews and methodologies.

Unlike adult elves who have cultivated for decades or even centuries, they don't need to spend a lot of time diluting their old perceptions and overcoming the inertia of their thinking.

Anton's idea gradually took shape.

The clan now has a population of over nine thousand, and there are quite a few children of school age, from whom they can select suitable candidates.

Spiritual roots, temperament, and comprehension are all factors that need to be considered.

"I need to go to the Hall of Eternity."

Having made up his mind, Anton turned and walked towards the door.

This kind of thing requires the support of the elders.

However, just as Anton reached the door, he saw a figure rushing towards him from the end of the tree-covered corridor. The figure was as fast as the wind and reached him in the blink of an eye.

"Anton!"

Roman stopped in his tracks, slightly out of breath, his amber eyes wide open as he stared straight at him, his expression a mixture of shock, realization, and excitement.

"I... I've figured it out. So you were Canglan all along!"

Looking at her serious expression, Anton was both amused and exasperated.

That's an incredibly long reaction time.